In the summer, during holidays and vacations, the doctors of Abruzzo hospitals roll up their sleeves so as not to leave patients without assistance, increasing the volume of work in more than 80% of cases to make up for staff shortages which between June and September become unsustainable, given that more than a third of them go on holiday. The picture of the hospitals in the summer period was taken by the survey conducted by the Federation of hospital internal medicine doctors (Fadoi) in six internal medicine operating units of the Abruzzo hospitals.
Thus, more than a third do extra work to cover night shifts and even fail to take advantage of the 11 hours of rest per day, which by law should always be guaranteed.
Half skip weekly rest periods. Despite the commitment, however, outpatient activities decrease in 50% of cases and are remodulated over time in the remaining 50% while remaining unchanged in number, while overall the quality of health care, also required in the summer, is significantly compromised in 83% of cases. A situation which, according to the federation, reflects what also happens in a large part of the departments of other medical specialties. Between June and September, according to the Fadoi survey, Abruzzo doctors take advantage of the 15 days of vacation in the summer period, as guaranteed by the national employment contract. This leads to a reduction in staff in the department which varies between 21 and 30% in 50% of cases, between 30 and 50% in 17% of departments, and between 11 and 20% in the remaining 33%. “The shortage of medical personnel in the Internal Medicine departments of Abruzzo – comments Angela Falco, president of Fadoi Abruzzo – becomes more dramatic than ever in the summer.
More than ever, the activity is based on the personal sacrifice of the doctors on duty, who extend their working hours and often give up rest shifts. Psycho-physical stress, burnout, increased risk of error are just around the corner. The solution? Investing in personnel, reversing the course of the progressive weakening of hospitals, finally recognizing that the Internal Medicine departments assist complex patients with comorbidities”.
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